Hiking and Biking Into The Sunset

The greatest generation faded away to 1,200-square-foot retirement condos in Florida or the Arizona desert, but the housing industry envisions something markedly different for the next wave of retirees. Instead, builders are serving up 2,000-plus-square-foot houses -- complete with fancy fixtures such as granite countertops and home offices with high-speed Internet access -- to a more affluent, more active, more demanding bunch. Developments are often within commuting range of a major city, providing work opportunities for the late-middle-age residents such communities attract, as well as access to cultural activities and the kids and grandkids. They have hundreds of units rather than the thousands of earlier communities -- the better to lure boomers who have always disdained being part of the herd.

Call this "next-stage housing" -- retirement developments for people who aren't necessarily retired, though they may be ready to downsize from their 4,000-square-foot, four-bedroom empty nests. Such communities are sprouting outside metropolitan areas such as Boston, Chicago, New York, Sacramento, and Washington. Some, such as Leyland Alliance's planned community in Warwick, N.Y., feature a "new urbanism" design, where homes are built around a town square or Main Street, providing walking access to restaurants and shops.